Drop-feed lubricator.



P. LOWRY.

DROP FEED LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8], 1914- NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHpm-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. 0.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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P. LOWRY.

DROP FEED LUBEIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

UNTTED PATENT @FFTCE.

FRANK LOWRY, OF LOUDON'VILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE OHIO GREASE COMPANY, OF LOUDONVILLE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DROP-FEED LUBRICATOR.

Application filed August 31, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LownY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Loudonville, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drop-Feed Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to lubricators for feeding grease, oil or other similar lubricants into the steam line or steam chest of an engine; and the object of the invention is to provide a lubricator which will not only completely head and liquefy the lubricant for feeding in small sized drops, but will further heat and more completely atomize and vaporize the same than has heretofore been done by previous devices of this character, without passing a current of live steam through the drop forming feed and sight chamber.

The object of the improvement is attained by locating the walls of the feed chamber and a descending steam and vaporizing passage immediately within and preferably integral with one side wall of the grease chamber; by locating the upper portion of the descending steam tube immediately alongside the wall of the feed and sight chamber for heating the same and the feed nipple therein; and by draining the feed chamber downward into one side of the descending steam passage and deflecting the lower portion thereof laterally for atomizing and vaporizing the downwardly draining lubricant by the flow of live steam.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the improved lubricator; and Fig. 2, a plan section of the same on line 22, Fig. 1?

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The grease reservoir or chamber 1 is formed by the case 2 of the lubricator, and the feed and sight chamber 3 is formed by the wall 4; within the grease chamber, preferably integral with one side wall thereof. The descending steam passage 5 is formed in the downward tubular extension l of the wall 4 of the feed chamber and terminates in the socket 4 of the discharge pipe 6, which tubular extension and socket are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 859,284.

preferably formed integral with the side wall of the grease reservoir.

The upper end 5 of the steam passage is formed in the adjoining walls of the case and the feed chamber, and at or near the upper end thereof is deflected directly outward and communicates with the live steam pipe 7 having direct communication through the valve fitting 8 and the pipe 9 with the steam line 10 at a point above the lubricator;

and the lower end 5 of the descending steam passage is preferably inclined first inward and thence downward, and finally outward into the discharge pipe 6 leading through the valve 11 into the steam line 10 at a point below the connection therewith of the pipe 9.

The nipple 12 is provided in the upper end of the wall a forming the feed chamher, the upper end of which nipple forms a seat for the valve 13, and the lower end of which nipple extends downward toward the middle of the feed chamber between the windows 14 secured in the wall of the grease chamber at each side of the feed chamber. lhe bottom of the feed chamber is inclined downward and outward to an opning 15 leading into the descending steam passage.

The condensing pipe 16 may lead from the fitting 8, thence downward through the valve 17 and into the side of the grease chamber, preferably in the middle of the upper end thereof; whence the condensing tube 16 leads downward through the middle of the grease chamber to an opening in the lower portion thereof in a manner well known in this art; the presence of which condensing tube in the upper portion of the grease chamber serves to heat the lubricant therein to a certain extent, but not sufliciently for a proper feeding through the comparatively small port of the nipple 12.

ing steam passage 5 and the discharge pipe 6 back into the steam line. hen the steam flows inward and downward, into and through the upper end portion of the steam passage 5, it impinges the wall 4 of the feed chamber 3, and also backs up through the outlet opening 15 into the cavity thereof, and heats the wall of this chamber and the nipple 12 located therein so highly, that the surrounding grease in the reservoir is reduced and expanded to such a thin and watery condition that it flows freely through the port in the nipple 12, as regulated by the valve 13, and falls in small drops therefrom upon the bottom of the feed chamber 3. The falling drops are further heated by contact with the inclined bottom of the feed chamber, and spreading out as a thin film thereon, drain downward through the opening 15 into the descending steam passage; wherein the current of steam serves to atomize and vaporize the lubricant by washing the same from one side to the other of the reversely inclined lower end portion of the passage; and thence carries the lubricant in a suspended, atomized and vaporized condition through the discharge pipe into the steam line. By this construction and arrangement, the feed chamber, the feed nipple and the surrounding lubricant are thoroughly heated, and the lubricant is reduced to the proper condition for passing through the nipple and forming very small drops thereon, without such action being disturbed by the flowing of live steam through the feed chamber; thereby permitting the formation and falling of the drops to be clearly viewed through the windows 14, and permitting an intelligent adjustment of the feed valve to more certainly regulate the feeding of the lubricant with the greatest refinement. At the same time, the feed chamber is constantly filled with live steam under direct boiler pressure, which further heats the lubricant as it falls from the nipple and spreads out upon the bottom of the chamber; and the drainage of such water as may be condensed in the feed chamber, serves to assist in carrying the lubricant through the opening 15 into the active current of live steam flowing downward through the passage 5 into the discharge pipe; in which passage the steam picks up thewatery lubricant as the same drains from the feed chamber, and by its scouring action in washing the lubricant from one side to the other of the passage efl'ects a complete atomizing and vaporizing thereof by the time it reaches the discharge pipe and is carried into the steam line.

I claim:

1. A lubricator including an outer case forming a grease chamber, an integral wall forming a feed chamber and a descending steam passage within the grease chamber, the upper end of the steam passage being located between the adioining walls of the chambers and the feed chamber opening downward into the steam passage, a nipple leading downward from the grease chamber into the feed chamber, a pipe for delivering live steam into the upper end of the steam passage and a discharge pipe leading from the lower end thereof.

2. A lubricator including an outer case forming a grease chamber, an integral wall forming a feed chamber and a descending steam passage within the grease chamber, the upper end of the steam passage extending along the wall of the feed chamber and the feed chamber opening downward into the steam passage, a nipple leading downward from the grease chamber into the feed chamber, a pipe for delivering live steam into the upper end of the steam passage and a discharge pipe leading from the lower end thereof. I

3. A lubricator including an outer case forming a grease chamber, an integral wall forming a feed chamber and a descending steam passage within the grease chamber, the upper end of the steam passage extending along the wall of the feed chamber, the feed chamber opening downward into the steam passage and the lower end of the steam passage being deflected from one side to the other, a nipple leading downward from the grease chamber into the feed chamber, a pipe for delivering live steam into the upper end of the steam passage and a discharge pipe leading from the lower end thereof.

MARTIN J. HOFFMAN, B. F. FISHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

